Next Best Thing
by Rising Sun et al
Summary: A response to Mickey's wedding challenge


The Challenge as presented at the Fan Fiction Challenge at   
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ffchallange/  
  
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Hello all, here's a response to Mickey's wedding challenge that she   
gave out in May (I think) and as soon as I opened my crate of   
inspiration, it begged to be written. So here it is, hope you enjoy.   
And please tell my muses to shut up! I'm supposed to be studying!!!!!!   
Mel ;-)   
  
Disclaimer: I dont own the characters yada, yada, yada. This   
was written for the entertainment of my friends and therapy for me.   
Please be nice, I have no money. All you'd get if you sued me would   
be, ummwell, nothing I guess. Maybe a pen and the book I use   
to write in. What are you doing still reading this? Read the story!   
  
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The Next Best Thing   
  
By Melanie-Anne   
E-mail: PrincessMel@fanfix.zzn.com   
  
I leaned closer to the mirror to add the final touches of make up to my   
face. When I'm satisfied I step back and smile, pleased with the   
results.   
  
Damn, I look good! Jarod's not going to know what hit him, I think. A   
tiny part of me questions what I'm thinking but I ignore it. Today is my   
wedding day and it's going to be absolutely perfect.   
  
I know what you're thinking. Me and Jarod - never in a million years.   
That's what I used to think too. If anyone had said to me that I'd one   
day be marrying the lab rat I'd have pulled out my gun and shot them.   
Okay, maybe not shot them, but I'd have thought about it.   
  
You're wondering what changed, right? TruthfullyI don't know.   
The last time I went after him it was different. He'd sounded tired   
when he phoned me and for once he didn't try to bait me or offer   
tempting clues to my past. That worried me.   
  
We tracked him to an orphanage - me, Syd and Broots. He was   
pretending to be a social worker and I think we surprised him. Usually   
he's prepared and he has something waiting for us. Not this time.   
  
And that was the moment of truth for us. For me, more specifically. I   
think, deep down, Sydney's never really wanted to take Jarod back to   
the Centre. Despite all he's said about Jarod's health and emotional   
well being, I think the only reason he's still on my team is out of some   
misguided sense of protection. He wants to make sure I don't kill   
Jarod. Mostly, I think he misses him.   
  
Brootswell, he was only put on the team because I don't have   
the patience to deal with computers. Staring at that screen for hours   
gives me a headache. I think he's scared of me. I get a kick out of   
that. I love him to bits but I'll die before admitting it. I wonder how   
many times Broots wishes he'd gone to work for Microsoft instead.   
  
And meI don't know. I thought I was chasing Jarod because he   
belonged at the Centre but it's not true. I guess I, like Sydney, just   
miss him. And I only realized this when I saw him at the orphanage.   
He was holding a child and I had my gun drawn. Broots and Sydney   
were watching me, wondering what I'd do.   
  
"Put that away, please," Jarod asked softly. "You'll scare the kids."   
  
I was this close to coming up with a sarcastic reply when I looked into   
his eyes. That was my first mistake. I put the gun away.   
  
"What do you want, Miss Parker?" he asked. I just looked at him.   
  
"Umm, Parker?" he tried again.   
  
"You look tired," I said. Behind me I could hear Broots cough.   
  
"I'm not going back. I've had enough. Game over."   
  
I couldn't let him just walk out of my life, could I? And the easy,   
logical, SANE thing for me to have done was drag him back to the   
Centre.   
  
Except I looked at him carefully - my second mistake - and realized   
that I wouldn't be satisfied with just that. I'm not quite sure what it is   
about men with children - the same goes for men with puppies - but I   
suddenly felt so broody. I wanted him. I wanted Jarod and I wanted   
his children and I wanted to be as far away from the Centre as   
possible.   
  
I think I was possessed. How else can I explain my completely   
irrational behavior? What I did next would be enough to get me an   
adjoining cell to Wonderboy. I walked right up to him and kissed him.   
Properly. Not a chaste peck on the cheek but a proper 'my tongue in   
his mouth' kind of kiss.   
  
He almost dropped the kid in surprise, but he did kiss me back. By the   
time I regained my senses I was lost.   
  
Sydney and Broots stared at the two of us in shock. Jarod stared at   
me in shock. I think I might also have been in shock.   
  
I kissed Jarod? Those who know me would have laughed at the   
absurdity of the idea. Except that they were there to witness it. And I   
couldn't very well kill them off to hide the evidence. So I did the next   
best thing.   
  
I turned to Jarod, my sweetest smile on my face. "Marry me?"   
  
I had thought it was impossible to shock the three of them more than I   
already had. I was wrong.   
  
Jarod laughed and turned away. He thought I was joking. I grabbed   
his arm and forced him to look at me. He put the kid down and turned   
to face me, his statement unreadable. There was silence in the room   
and I wondered if Sydney and Broots were still there.   
  
"I guess it's better than the alternative," he said finally.   
  
I couldn't help it. I punched him.   
  
Hey, at least I didn't break his nose! I could've easily done that, if I'd   
wanted to.   
  
That brings me to today.   
  
Once everyone had gotten over the shock of our engagement (and   
Jarod's nose had stopped bleeding) we had to make plans. Obviously   
I wasn't going to return to the Centre. Neither were Sydney and   
Broots. We cam straight to Maine, to Lake Catherine, and Ben   
insisted that we have the ceremony at his inn.   
  
And here I am. In the room my mother used when she came here.   
This is her wedding dress I'm wearing. I think it's appropriate. I know   
she approves of this match with Jarod. She's told me.   
  
Yes, that's right. I've also finally decided to listen to my inner sense. It   
was her gift to me. And I figure it'll come in handy one day.   
  
Somehow Jarod managed to get his entire family together for this. I'll   
admit I was slightly worried. Would they accept me? I mean, at one   
stage I had wanted to kill Jarod's father. So I would have understood if   
they'd hated me.   
  
But they didn't. It turns out Margaret knew my mother so we spent the   
whole day yesterday talking about her. The Major doesn't hold   
grudges; you can't begin to understand how relieved I was to find that   
out. And Emily is great. She's so excited to be gaining a sister. I'm   
also kind of excited. I've always wanted a sister. Even Ethan was   
here! That was the best part of my day, seeing my little brother. I've   
missed him so much.   
  
Emily knocks on the door and tells me they're waiting for me. I smile   
warmly at her, wondering what happened to the Ice Queen. I guess I   
left her at the Centre the last time I left it. All I've been doing this week   
is smiling and laughing. Broots discovered I have a sense of humor.   
And I think he's developed more than a passing interest in my soon-  
to-be sister-in-law. I'm happy for him.   
  
We're about to walk down the aisle when Jarod looks back at me and   
smiles. He doesn't look so bad himself.   
  
I can't believe we're actually getting married!   
  
The whole time that the priest is speaking all I can think about is the   
man standing next to me. My shy streak - yes, I have one! - decided   
to surface this week and I insisted that we wait until after the wedding   
to get physical. Call me a romantic, but I want it to be special.   
  
And I love the fact that I'm driving him crazy!   
  
But right now, all I'm thinking is that the priest had better hurry up and   
finish or else I will not be held responsible for my actions. Can I help   
that the man smells so good? I bet this is payback for the past week.   
Sneaky devil.   
  
But of course we have to wait longer. Everyone wants photographs.   
You know, we've never been photographed together before. For our   
final photograph I'm sitting on the grass and Jarod is standing behind   
me. As the photograph is taken he yells something like a war cry and   
jumps over me.   
  
That man, I swear!   
  
At least he didn't land on me. He turns and shrugs apologetically. "I   
thought we could send that one to the Centre."   
  
I laugh. He's so childlike in so many ways. I wonder if he's that   
childlike in the ways that count.   
  
I give a silent prayer of thanks that we're not having a reception. We   
all agreed that the sooner everyone split up, the better. I can't wait for   
everyone to be on their way. Jarod and I are spending one night here   
and then we're going on a proper honeymoon. Tomorrow morning Mr.   
and Mrs. - uh-uhdid you think I'd make it that easy for you?   
  
I hope you like the photograph, Daddy. It's all you'll ever have of me.   
  
~*~   
  
PrincessMel@fanfix.zzn.com   
I want to know what you thought! Please send feedback to   
  
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The Challenge as presented at the Fan Fiction Challenge at   
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ffchallange/  
  
I have a new challenge for all you Pretender fans. This one is   
REALLY simple. Write a story surrounding this picture. The events   
don't have to lead up to when this picture, but either this picture has to   
be somehow mentioned or there has to be an event where this picture   
gets taken.   
  
* Whose baby is this?   
* Is it Jarod's baby?   
* If yes whose the mother?   
* Is it Parker?   
* If it's his & Parker's how did this come about?   
* What's the baby's name?   
* How old is the baby?   
* Does the Centre know Jarod has a baby?   
* Is the Cenre still up & running? 


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